Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim

(This should be a merit for Avraham Mordechai ben Shevach who was just niftar.)

We are told not to hate your brother (19:17). Interestingly, the Torah adds a few words – “You shall not hate your brotherin your heart.” The simple idea behind this is that the Torah is referring to a normal scenario – it is normal for someone who hates someone else to cover up and hide the hatred in his heart. The verse then continues, “You shall rebuke your fellow and not bear a sin because of him.” The second half of the verse seems to be unrelated to the first half. It seems that the Torah is discussing a new point – the mitzvah of rebuking your fellow – when you see another Jew transgressing, rebuke him, and if you do not, you will bear a sin.

There is another eye-opening way to understand the verse. A Jew who hits his fellow out of hatred transgresses a number of prohibitions, but he does not violate the prohibition of not hating your brother. This prohibition is reserved to holding the hatred in one’s heart. Some people do not show their hatred on the outside. It remains in their heart and there it simmers until it turns into a deep hatred. What is the solution?

The verse continues and tells us to act courageously – bring up the point of contention with the perpetrator, with the person that you hate, the person that did something not to your liking. Challenge him (in a nice way) and ask him to clarify his actions, “Why did you do such and such to me?” Do not bear a sin by keeping the hatred in your heart. Rather you should discuss the matter with the “guilty” party. The offender will then have the opportunity to explain himself. Maybe it was actually a mistake or maybe it was a misunderstanding. And if he did indeed act improperly, he may very well take this opportunity to ask for forgiveness. (Ramban)

If we follow such guidelines how much dispute would be avoided? How many relationships could be saved? How much friction could be spared?

Love Thy Neighbor….

We find ourselves now in the middle of the “sefira”- the 49 days which we count leading up to Shavuos. As we know these days are seemingly coincidentally accompanied by laws of mourning for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who perished due to a plague during this period. The Talmud states that their death was due to the fact that they (in the context of their exalted spiritual levels) didn’t offer sufficient honor to each other.

The great Rabbi Akiva famously exclaimed that the “great principal of the Torah is that one must have love his neighbor as he loves himself “. The question is raised as to how the above emphasis fits in with another famous opinion of Rabbi Akiva concerning the following- if a man were to find himself in the desert together with another person but he only has enough water to ensure his safe return to civilization, that is, if he were to share his supplies then they would both die, what should he do? Rabbi Akiva ruled that he ought to drink the entire bottle himself. He based his ruling on a verse from which he deduced that “your life comes before that of your comrade”! How do these two ideas fit together?

An answer offered is that Rabbi Akiva delved deep into the essence of a human being and came to the conclusion that it is not possible to love anybody more than oneself, beyond that, is mere platitude. A prerequisite for loving one’s neighbor as one does for himself- is that he loves himself.

True love and self value can only come from the understanding that inside of ourselves is a G-dly spark which renders our cosmic significance immeasurable. Only after we become aware of our self worth can we fully appreciate our fellow Jew.

The students of Rabbi Akiva, erred in their own journey of spiritual ascent, they, in an honorable attempt of attaining self perfection through absolute humility, mistakenly convinced themselves of their own worthlessness- they lost sight of their own G-dly spark and that had the unavoidable knock-on effect of not seeing that of their comrade’s too.

The only way for for each of us to actualize our own receiving of the Torah is by appreciating who we are and what we can become.

We are all Bnai melachim- “son’s of the King”, and so too are our friends and neighbors….

R’ Ezer Pine

Conduct During Sefira

We are currently in the days of Sefira, when we conduct ourselves with partial mourning because during this time 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva perished.

We do not cut our hair nor do we dance or listen to music.

Although there are some authorities who hold that we should refrain from reciting the berachah of shehechiyanu during this period as it is a time of judgement, most authorities maintain that there is no need to refrain from buying a new garment or new fruit, even though we would then be required to recite the berachah of shehechiyanu. It is also permissible to cut nails during this time. (R’ Eider)

Conduct During Sefira

We are currently in the days of Sefira, when we conduct ourselves with partial mourning because during this time 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva perished.

We do not cut our hair nor do we dance or listen to music.

Although there are some authorities who hold that we should refrain from reciting the berachah of shehechiyanu during this period as it is a time of judgement, most authorities maintain that there is no need to refrain from buying a new garment or new fruit, even though we would then be required to recite the berachah of shehechiyanu. It is also permissible to cut nails during this time. (R’ Eider)

Fences of Holiness

The common theme running through Acharei Mos, Kedoshim and Emor is the kedushah (holiness) of the Jewish people and the need for its preservation and protection. In Acharei Mos, we are enjoined not to behave in the depraved manner of the Egyptians and Canaanites (Vayikra 18:3). The question is asked: Why did the Torah command us only with respect to the extreme depravity of the Egyptians and Canaanites? Part of the answer lies in the verse that concludes this parsha and sums it up: “And you shall guard My observances” (Vayikra 18:30). The sages (Yevamos 21a) derive from this verse the need to make fences around the Torah.

Those fences include general rabbinic decrees designed to distance one from transgressing Torah law and the specific protective measures each individual must implement in his own life to protect himself in areas of personal vulnerability. The Torah is not merely exhorting us not to lead immorally depraved lives, but warning us that if we do not implement safety measures to prevent us from such depravity, we will sink to the lowest level, that of the Canaanites and Egyptians.

Often we hear those who do not understand the true nature of rabbinic legislation complain that the Rabbis made observance much more difficult, complicating our lives with extra prohibitions and restrictions. The following analogy demonstrates the fallacy of this argument. A group of people are situated on a mountaintop which ends in a sheer cliff and a drop of several thousand feet. One civic-minded member of the group erects on his own initiative a safety fence to prevent anyone from venturing too close to the edge of the cliff and falling off inadvertently. Would anyone complain that the fence limited his freedom of movement by making it less likely that he plummet off the mountain to his death?

One who appreciates the seriousness of transgressing a Torah law – the devastating effects of such transgressions on one’s neshamah (soul), one’s eternal life and the world in general – surely feels more secure knowing that safety fences have been erected to make it more difficult for him to inadvertently transgress. Thus, one function of rabbinic “fences” is to prevent one from transgressing Torah prohibitions inadvertently.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Parshas Tazria/Metzora

Most of parshos Tazria and Metzora deal with the spiritual disease called tzara’as, that comes as a result of different transgressions. Cedarwood, crimson tongue of wool (שני תולעת) and hyssop were used as part of the purification process. Because these afflictions come because of haughtiness, the cedar tree, which is a tall tree, reminds the afflicted person that he considered himself lofty. What is the remedy? He should lower himself from his arrogance like a worm (תולעת) and like a hyssop that does not grow tall. (14:4 with Rashi and other commentators)

Regarding character traits, a person should normally follow the middle path but there are two exceptions – pride and anger. Regarding pride and anger, a person should go to the opposite extremes (Rambam). The simple reason behind this is that the consequences of error is very severe. Therefore the risks of following the middle path are too great.

There is however, a deeper reason why pride and anger are different to other traits. Pride and anger are very related. “It is because of pride that a man becomes angry when people do not fulfill his will. If he were lowly of spirit and recognized his flaws he would not become angry at all. Thus it turns out that pride and anger are really a single trait” (Sha’arei Kedusha). We should feel a sense of internal worth because we are all made in the image of G-d. But this can be distorted with the outcome being an insistence on external recognition of that worth. Consequently, these traits affect the entirety of a person’s being. Therefore we should go to the opposite extreme. (R’ Yaakov Greenwald)

Perhaps this is why there are two “reminders” of the need for the afflicted to humble himself (the crison toungue of wool and the hyssop), whereas there is only one “reminder” of his fault, haughtiness, represented by the cederwood – we should be very, very lowly of spirit (Avos 4:4)

Growing From Hardships

We are all suffering at the moment. For those of you who do not know him personally, our writer R’ Ezer Pine suffers from MS. He cannot walk unaided and has has many other disabilities. Things that we take for granted like tying our shoelaces or doing up a button, he is unable to do. But he has not, by no means, given up or become depressed. He has used his condition to lead a more fulfilled life. Last week he gave a shiur sharing some ideas of how to grow from tests and hardships. The following are some notes from that shiur.

•What is a נסיון (test)?
– A test is for the sake of the person being tested, not for the One doing the testing (Ramban). HaShem knows who we are – we don’t know who we are and what we are capable of. A test proves to us and the world, who we are.

A TEST IS A COMPLIMENT!
The Ramban also says that Hashem doesn’t test the wicked – The very fact that Hashem sends us a test is Divine indication what we are capable of.
•נסה can also mean to raise! A test is an OPPORTUNITY to rise to levels that we never believed that we are capable of. • A NISAYON IS A PRIVILEGE!
A נסיון is an indication that Hashem wants interaction with us. • Challenges are TAILOR MADE FOR US!
Harav Ezriel Tauber based on Sfas Emes explains how the splitting of the sea קריעת ים סוף was absolutely personal and an ultimate test for each individual. Meshech Chachmah explains that Hashem told Moshe not to lead them as they approached the sea. The Sfas Emes adds that no member saw the splitting of other- Moshe cried to Hashem and He told Moshe to tell the people to just jump!! No promises, no crutches just jump into abyss; Hashem’s “arms”.
• We are fortune recipients, within our spiritual DNA, of the success of our forefathers. We too to some extent are experiencing current situation ALONE, each with different but tailor made situation. For some it’s issues of livelihood, for others shalom bayis, others loneliness…. just like at קריאת ים סוף it was a PERSONAL challenge. Today, like then, the only place to jump to is into Hashem’s hands!
• Summary- Every test is a CONFIRMATION from Hashem as to who we really are, and a COMPLIMENT that He wants relationship with us, OPPORTUNITY to rise to levels we never thought possible. He always gives us the ability to meet the challenge.

•Suggestions how to deal with situation- Use current situation to cultivate deep internal relationship with Hashem. Chazon Ish talks about a person ought to live his life existing on parallel reality- with the outside world but also with internal world. A STRONG AND FORTIFIED INTERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HASHEM CAN’T BE SHAKEN!!
How? Is very personal, but CRUCIAL to find quiet time and place, even if only option is 3:00 am then so be it!!! To concentrate on relationship with Hashem, all the good that He bestows on us even undeserving. To talk to Him, Cry to him, dance to him- we live very external lives, we need to strengthen internal lives ALONE!

When To Count

We have started the mitzvah of sefiras ha’omer, counting towards Shavuos. It is preferable to count after nightfall. If a person counted before nightfall but after sunset, ideally he should count again after nightfall without reciting a new berachah before the count, but if he did not count he may continue counting the rest of the omer with a berachah before counting. (Mishne Brurah)

When during the maariv service should we count? After the shemone esrei prayer.

Why do we count after the shemone esrei prayer and not before? Some (Mor u’Ktziah) explain that once upon a time they would davine maariv a little before nightfall. By the time maariv concluded it was nightime and therefore they would count then at night, in accordance with the halachah. Another reason given (Chok Yaakov) is that there is a general principle that when there are two mitzvos to perform now, the more frequent mitzvah precedes the less frequent mitzvah. Shema and shmone esrei are performed more frequently and so both are performed before counting the omer. (Quoted in the Bach)

We count before saying aleinu because the count should be as complete and whole as possible (תמימות תהיינה), meaning that we should count as early as possible. (Mishne Brurah)

The Burning Aspiration To Achieve

Immediately after our redemption from Egypt, we began to count toward the goal of the redemption, that which gave the the redemption meaning and purpose: the receiving of the Torah. In order to accept the Torah properly, the Jewish people had to aspire to this lofty goal, as a slave toiling in the hot sun longs for as moment in the shade.

One aspect of what it means to aspire toward a goal is the following.

The Midrash relates that Rabbi Akiva was giving as shiur, and the students began to lose interest and fall asleep. In order to rouse them, he said, “What did Esther perceive that enabled her to rule over 127 provinces? Let Esther, who was a descendent of our matriarch Sarah who lived 127 years, come and rule over 127 provinces.” The students perked up immediately, and Rabbi Akiva continued the shiur.

R’ Dessler explains the deeper meaning of the midrash. The students of Rabbi Akiva lost interest in what he was expounding because they felt that the level of attainment that Rabbi Akiva was exhorting them to achieve was beyond their grasp. Rabbi Akiva pointed out their mistake: Esther was able to to reach the level she did because her entire life she aspired to reach the level of Sarah, who controlled and utilized every moment of her 127 years of life. Esther did not manage to attain the lofty status of Sarah, but because of her striving she was able to to reach the level of royalty inherent in the 127 provinces over which she ruled.

If one does not aspire to the most lofty goals, one will never develop his full potential.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Parshas Shemini

During the inauguration of the Temple, two of Aharon’s sons erred and were killed. Aharon was silent (10:1-4). Interestingly, the word used to describe Aharon’s response is vayidom (וידום) not the normal word for silence vayacharosh (ויחרוש). The word vayidom is derived from the word referring to inanimate objects such as a stone. Not only was Aharon silent, but he accepted the decree from High to such an extent that there were not even any facial expressions. His face was like a stone. (Chofetz Chayim)

Perhaps we can add to this idea. We know that there are different creatures in the world – inanimate objects, vegetation, animals, human being. A human being has the faculty to think and question. Aharon fully accepted the news – there were no questions on G-d. He was like an inanimate object.

Hashem is infinite in all ways. His wisdom is infinite, we cannot even begin to fathom it – how He made the world, how he makes a human being. He runs the world with His infinite wisdom. If a person were ill, he would not voice his opinion and challenge the diagnosis of the expert doctor. How much more so can we not challenge the actions of Hashem.

We do not know why Hashem has afflicted us and the whole world with the corona virus. But it is only for our benefit. It may be to provide atonement for us or to help us appreciate our lives and what we are here for or to teach us Who is in charge or for many other reasons. But He knows and one day we will know and although it may seem strange, we will actually thank Him for it. We will be saved not just from it, but because of it. As we say in Hallel אודך כי עניתני ותהי לי לישועה – this can be translated as I thank Hashem for the pain He afflicted me and through this Hashem was my salvation. Chasam Sofer)